Two Steps From Hell
by Empress Akitla
Summary: Trouble is brewing. With a dead body and a storm coming, Rango tries to protect Dirt from Jake, an odd female gunslinger, and the myths of the desert as they ride out to face the eye of the storm. But some things are better left untouched, Rango decides.
1. Chapter 1

**So, I couldn't help myself. I had to start writing another "Rango" story with my all time favorite character to use, Frost. Please tell me what you think! Enjoy! :)**

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><p>A hot, dry wind blew across the Mojave Desert. Blood red leaked across the endless dunes of sand as the sun set on the horizon. With every heart beat, the sand shifted into a new position, whipped about by the unseen hand of the wind. Tall cacti stood proudly against the pelting sand, not bowing to the force in the slightest.<p>

There was a shot that rang out over the howl of the wind, seeming to echo on nothing but the empty landscape. Sheltered in the shadow of a stone reaching skyward, two figures were there. One was holstering a pistol, and then leaning down to grab a shotgun. The other was motionless on the ground, the critter's blood mixing into the grit.

With silence that could put a rock to shame, the still standing critter loaded the shotgun onto the saddle of a roadrunner standing not too far off. Hooking its foot into the stirrup, it heaved itself onto the tall bird. Not pausing so much as to give the dead creature a second look, it spurred its mount out into the ever shifting landscape.

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><p>It had been a month since the fall of the evil Mayor Tortoise John, and the town of Dirt had rebuilt most of the buildings damaged in the water geysers that had erupted during the fight. A new mayor was yet to be put into office, so for the time being Angelique, the old mayor's assistant, was dealing with the job. So far, she was handling it excellently.<p>

Sheriff Rango was currently investigating a dead body that had shown up on the outskirts of the town. A few were crowded around the body, including Doc.

"So, what killed him?" Beans questioned, standing on the other side of the corpse.

"I don't know," the jackrabbit stood up, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "It could've been the gunshots, the knife wounds, or any of the other wounds on him."

"Someone must've really wanted this guy dead," Rango cringed at the bloody, mangled body. "Does anyone recognize him?"

"Like you could actually recognize him under all that blood," Spoons said from the edge of the crowd.

"Nah, there's no way this fella was from 'round here," Waffles shook his head as he took off his hat in respect.

"I agree," Ambrose fluffed out his feathers and straightened his monocle. "We would have recognized him."

"Do you think he was traveling and got caught by some bandits?" Priscilla suggested, pushing to the front of the crowd. "I've always told ya that strangers don't last long here."

"I've lasted," Rango pointed out.

"For a month," the cactus mouse crossed her arms. "I'll give it another week, tops. Then I'll get your boots."

"Alright, alright, let's not think about that for now," Rango waved his hand dismissively. "But you're right; it could've been some bandits that got a hold of him."

"There would be more tracks," Wounded Bird stepped through the crowd, his arm still in a sling from nearly a month ago. "And travelers know better than to carry much water or gold with them."

"Good point, good point," Rango nodded, taking in the raven's words. "So, does anyone else have any theories?" He glanced around at the various critters.

"Maybe it was Rattlesnake Jake," someone threw the idea out of the crowd.

"Nah, he's brutal, but not quite this brutal," Rango shook his head. The sun was rising to its zenith in the sky, bringing the hottest heat of the day with it. This would have to wait until later that evening. "We'll wait until someone comes up with an idea. But for now, we'll jus' say it was bandits."

"Works for me," Elgin shrugged, leaving the body along with several others as they all trotted to the Gas Can Saloon.

Inside the bar, it was cool and provided relief from the scorching rays of the sun. Several of the creatures took seats at their normal tables, pulling out decks of cards or simply drinking cactus juice.

Rango was followed closely by Beans as the two sat on some of the free stools. The noise of the bar slowly worked its way back up the volume it usually held.

"Cactus juice," the chameleon said to Buford as the bartender pulled out a prickly bottle and two shot glasses.

"So, what's goin' on with the dead man?" the toad asked casually as he poured each lizard a shot of the strong drink.

"Can't say much right now," Rango said as he took a sip from the glass. His eye twitched at the burn, but he recovered much quicker than what he had done when he had first arrived in the town. "But we're saying it was done by some bandits."

"Always the good ones to blame," he shook his head in disgust.

The threesome looked towards the dust coated windows as a rider stopped out front to hitch up its roadrunner. For a few seconds nothing happened, but soon enough a critter came through the swinging doors. Nothing looked suspicious about it save for the long, dark coat that it wore. Several others joined their stares as it sat down at the bar, hunching over and keeping its face out of view.

"Can I get you somethin'?" Buford croaked, cleaning out a glass with an old rag.

"Cactus juice," the critter answered gruffly.

Almost everyone breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. The voice belonged to a female, even as rough as it sounded. It seemed as if she hadn't spoken in a while.

Buford set the shot glass down, pouring the 'liquid fire', as Rango was so fond of calling it, in and sliding it towards the female. As the others returned to their own dealings, the sheriff watched the stranger closely. He had been sheriff for only a month and he had gotten off to a bad start of protecting the town. Keeping a watchful eye on anyone new just upped the protection, as did asking them a few harmless questions.

"Where're you from, stranger?" Rango asked casually, pushing up the brim of his hat.

She glanced at him, taking the dry piece of grass from her teeth. Grabbing the shot glass and leaning back, she pushed the brim of her dark hat up with a thumb.

"Farther out west," was the simple answer, earning a few glances from the other occupants of the bar. Usually most travelers were from the east or north. Only a very few lived farther west or south.

"Ah, that's where I'm from myself," he said, getting a jab in the side from Beans. Recovering from the unexpected attack, he continued, "Came here jus' lookin' for some water. What're you doin'?"

"My job," she turned away, looking down into the shot glass. "Jus' stopping to get some supplies, still got a long way to go."

"Where're you headed?" Rango asked. He took a step back as the stranger stood up swiftly.

"I have this itching suspicion that you're the sheriff," she said, brushing her coat being her as she set her hand on her hips.

"Woe, those are some nice guns," Waffles motioned towards the guns holstered around her right shoulder and left hip.

"Who are you, exactly?" Spoons inquired as he approached her.

"Frost," she sat down again, a long tail sweeping out from under her coat.

"You know, you look kinda familiar," Beans said as she stepped out from behind Rango. Her brown eyes darted over the stranger, trying to figure out where she had seen the face masked by shaggy silver hair.

"You do, indeed," Ambrose had stood up now, followed by a few others.

"Have you been through here before?" Elgin gave her a sidelong glance.

"Nah," she said, putting the shot glass to her lips and drinking.

"Oh! I know you!" Doc's one and a half ears stood up straight as recognition hit him. "You're that one gunslinger from that little town of Muerte."

"You're the one they call Hell's Assassin!" Waffles cried out excitedly.

There was a resounding _clank_ as the stranger set the shot glass down, having drained all of its contents. She stood up, pulling her hat off and letting her long, silver hair fall. There were a few gasps at her strange hair color. It was silver, not gray but sterling silver with a few black streaks in it. After dusting off her hat, she looked up and pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her left eye.

"You are her!" The critters backed up a little, stories and legends of this gunslinger returning to their minds.

"Hey," she said, but wasn't heard over the din of the panicked creatures. With a roll of her eyes she stuck two fingers in her mouth, the sharp whistle bringing all noise to a halt. "Hey! I ain't here to kill none of ya."

"But they say that you take more than what you were asked to do," Ambrose said, his feathers sticking in every which direction in fear.

"Huh, and I thought I knew 'em all," Frost shook her head, placing her hat back on. She turned to the sheriff, who had remained silent during the whole ordeal. "Where can I get some food and water 'fore I get going?"

"Uh…there's the General Store for food," Rango snapped out of his daze, putting on his roughrider façade again. "But you'll have to go to the bank for water."

"Thanks," she turned on her heel, spurs clicking as she left the bar. On the counter she had left two silver coins in return for the drink.

"Well, that was interesting," Rango said, putting his hands on his hips. "At least we don't have to worry about her."

"I don't know, sheriff," Spoons was still staring at the spot where she had left. "She seems kinda on the wild side."

"How could ya tell?" Rango looked down at the mouse questioningly. "She was pretty calm and civilized, even if I do say so myself."

"It's in her eyes," Waffles added, pointing towards his own eyes.

"They were full of danger," Elgin whispered from his stool at the bar.

"They weren't even the color of danger," Rango pointed out to the critters. "They were dark green, not red or yellow or orange. They weren't even close to danger."

"You didn't look pass the green," Spoons said, spitting off to the side. "I didn't like what I saw."

"Me neither," Elgin agreed.

"You guys are overreacting," Rango waved them off with a dismissive hand as he started to make his way outside.

"I don't know," Beans said as she followed him. "There seemed like there was a little something off about her."

"Jus' relax, Beans," Rango smiled reassuringly. That smile practically dropped off his face like a rock when a very panicked Angelique came bounding up to them from the County Courthouse.

"Rattlesnake Jake is coming!" the small vixen said, her eyes wide with fear.

"Crap," was the only word that Rango could find fitting to say in the presence of two women. "How far out is he?"

"Maybe a minute," Angelique shrugged her shoulders hopelessly. "I only just saw him coming across the desert from my balcony."

Mind racing on how every time that blasted snake had showed up in the past month and kept his word on taking a soul with him when he left, Rango got an idea. He dashed over to the General Store where the stranger's roadrunner was hitched, nearly breaking down the door as he burst in.

"Hey! Madam Hell's Assassin," Rango yelped as the stranger was suddenly in front of him, a knife wavering close to his nose.

"Jus' call me Frost," she said, tucking away the shiny blade back into its sheath on her right leg. "If I ever hear you call me that again, I will slice you up and stick you on a cactus so everybody can see that you caught whooped by a woman."

"Okay!" He held his hands up in defense. "I jus' wanted to let ya know that Rattlesnake Jake is comin' and we would appreciate it if you could help us out a little."

"Ah, so this is where that little bugger has been hangin' out," Frost wiped a hand over her face. She turned her back to the chameleon, collecting her food supplies and handing the shopkeeper a couple of those silver coins. At Rango's stare of questioning, she said, "No, I haven't actually come face to face with him. All I've ever heard are legends."

"Why won't you help us?" Rango asked, following her outside as she secured her newly bought items on the saddle of her roadrunner. As she returned back inside the store, he yelled at her retreating back, "Some gunslinger you are!"

He jumped as a round of shots zipped over his head, the bullets embedding themselves into the sign on the front of the store. There were a few screams as critters scrambled into the nearest building as a winding serpent slithered on the main road.

"Hello, 'brother'," a voice hissed, punctuated by a deep chuckle.

"Hi, Jake," Rango turned around slowly, his eyes traveling upward to the rattlesnake towering above him.

"I see that you've managed to keep the town in one piece," Jake's fiery eyes were glowing beneath the shade of his broad, dark hat. "Wonder how you've managed that one."

"Well, it takes a lot of work," Rango coughed nervously as the snake circled him, blocking every path of escape with pure muscle. "But, I'm enough of a man to handle it."

Jake snorted in amusement, his near black tongue flicking out. He tasted fear from the lizard as his rough scales brushed against him. With a deadly smirk, he said, "You seem a little nervous there. Need a drink?" Parting his lips, he slowly and menacingly revealed his hypodermic fangs.

"No, no," Rango shook his head, trying to back up in the process. When he bumped into a thick coil, he glanced up at the fellow reptile. His eyes trailed behind Jake's head, towards the balcony of the General Store as movement caught his eyes. Frost was standing up there, leaning casually on the railing. Using his eye expressions as a silent plead, he managed to get the message across.

"You're a little distracted today," Jake shifted, tightening a coil around the sheriff's chest.

"It's jus' such a beautiful day to be distracted by," Rango chuckled lightly.

The snake rolled his eyes, having gotten used to the lizard's strange comments. This was the fourth time this month he had shown up, wanting to lay claim to another soul. And every time, without a doubt, Rango would always say something off the wall in his attempt to lighten the mood.

"Got a soul for me to take?" Jake asked as he flashed several backwards facing teeth.

"Uh…no, not today. Why don't you come back tomorrow," Rango gasped as the snake jerked him close to his face.

"You're only delaying," he smirked an attractive, yet wicked smirk. "I'll take a soul with me, whether or not you like it." He flicked his tongue out again, barely brushing the lizard. "I've been gettin' hungry out there in the desert. Not a lot out there except for a few roadrunners, and those birds don't taste very good. Maybe you'd like to be the soul I take, since you're so concerned about the good people of this town?"

"I'd rather that no one become's your lunch," Rango said, glancing up at the balcony. Frost had removed her hat, coat, and both guns. At his questioning look, she motioned for him to keep Jake distracted. "So, since we're talking about this anyways, there've been a few rumors going around town that everybody's afraid to ask you to confirm."

"Hmm?" Jake tilted his head to the side, biding his time for now. If he could just humor the lizard a little, then he would make his move.

"Ah, a few of the kids wanted to know whether or not you ate your prey still alive," Rango drawled out, trying to make his speech slower as the woman was preparing to make some sort of move. At the chuckle coming from the snake, he switched his look back to him.

"You want to know the truth, sheriff?" Jake leaned in close, feeling the lizard stiffen in fear. "I like eating 'em alive and still kicking. It's an interesting feeling as they go down."

Rango felt the color drain from his face. He just had to ask that one question. Not trying to hide his fear anymore, he looked up at the snake. For a few moments his heart stopped as he saw the pink flesh of the snake's mouth and a killer look in his fiery eyes. That was when something interesting happened.

Jake closed his mouth abruptly as something, or someone, hit him from behind. Releasing his coil from the sheriff, he twisted his head around as he tried to see who was on him.

"Get off!" He hissed, swinging his neck. Whoever was on him was right behind his head. There was no way he could see it, or even shoot at it. He would wind up shooting himself in the back of the head. "Blasted critter! Get off!"

"Stay still!" A rough female voice yelled.

Oh, this was not going to happen to him! Jake slammed his neck into a wall, but the creature didn't let go. In fact, he could feel her spurs digging into his hide. With an angry shake of his metal tail, he lowered down and mimicked what a bull would do.

"Someone…." Frost was shouting at the people who had gathered around, "….get me….a rope!"

Rango looked around quickly, seeing one on the horn of the saddle on her roadrunner. Without any hesitation he yanked it off and threw it in the general direction of the constantly moving woman. Daring to take one hand off of her only hold, she barely snagged the rope with her claws.

"Who….taught you….to throw?" She yelled as she squeezed her legs tighter while trying to lasso her rope.

Jake was beyond pissed at this point. Right now, he didn't care if he made himself look like a fool; he was going to get this woman off of him. He slammed his neck into a wall again, making sure to pinch her leg. Only hearing a few curses escape her lips, he tried again. Rising up into a striking position, he went to crush her full on into the wall before a rope caught his mouth. She had actually managed to get a makeshift bridle on him!

"Rodeo!" Frost screamed out wickedly as she tightened the lasso, giving her a much firmer handhold. "Let's see….what you….can really….do!"

Frost kept her knees locked as the rattlesnake bucked in a vain effort to get her off. She had done this before with a few other animals, including a red racer snake. Feeling exhilarated by this sudden rush of adrenaline, she even dared to release one hand and go bull rider style.

Jake tucked his head to his chest as she pulled back on the rope, yanking his lower jaw back harshly. This was going to have to come to an end soon. As he lowered down to try one more trick, she kicked him right behind the jaw. Pain erupted from the spot, bringing him clear down to the ground. He felt extremely hot with anger and shame that a woman had brought him down so easily as she patted his rough scales.

"Thought you would've had a little more energy in ya," Frost smirked as his fiery eyes shifted to look at her. Her smirk faded as she felt in the pit of her gut what the snake was going to do.

With a quick flick of his muscles, he rolled over on his back. That effectively knocked her from him. Rolling right side up, Jake took this moment to spit the rope out and wrap a tight coil around her before she could get away.

"That was a brave but stupid move," he hissed, bumping his nose against her head.

Her eyes were cold, almost emotionless as he stared at them. They were a dark, pine green with slit pupils staring back at him. The pupils narrowed slightly as the stare down continued. She was an odd one for sure, he didn't even taste any fear when he flicked his tongue out.

"Ain't you afraid of me?" Jake asked, his pupils dilating as the gray cougar tipped her head to the side.

"Do your worst," she said, reaching down to her thigh.

"I don't think so," Jake shook her, making the knife fall to the dusty ground. "Seems like I've got my soul."

"Hell will welcome me back with open arms," she bared her fangs in an eerily calm smile.

Before anyone could move, a shadow swept over them all. Every single head snapped up to the sky, searching for the source. A high screech confirmed their fears.

"Hawk!" Several cries echoed around as they all scattered to hide.

Rango's heart was pounding. Out in the open a hawk was circling, and to his left there was Jake. In his mind he found it kind of funny that such a tough snake was so terrified of a bird. Frost was crouched down underneath the head of the serpent, the tip of her tail twitching as they waited.

Within seconds there was a powerful downdraft that pushed sand and dirt into the air as the bird of prey alighted on the main road. It was so much bigger than any red tailed hawk Rango had seen. Huge, curving talons were on the end of each toe, clicking almost silently as it paced. Its body was covered in brown feathers that even covered most of its legs. Dark eyes looked from side to side, searching for a piece of prey.

"Ah, jeez," Jake hissed, pressing farther back into the shallow hiding place.

"Crap, I haven't seen a golden eagle 'round here," Frost whispered.

"It's been a long time since they've been 'round here," Jake replied quietly, lowering his head as the big bird stalked past them. "Never seen one this big before, though."

"Me neither," Frost smiled a little, her eyes gleaming at everyone watched the eagle continue its search.

"How long is it gonna stay here?" Rango whispered over to the two gunslingers.

"Could be a while," Frost answered.

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><p><strong>So, what do you guys think so far? I hope my character isn't leaning too heavily on the Mary Sue fence. Please remember to R&amp;R! Thanks for reading! :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2 finally! I know this one isn't very long but at least it's something. Enjoy!**

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><p>Who knew how long it had been? It could have been minutes or even hours that the eagle had been waiting for something to appear. Right now all anyone could see was its shadow on the ground since it had perched on the County Courthouse.<p>

"This is taking forever," Rango whispered, daring to inch closer to both gunslingers.

"I told you it could be a while," Frost rolled her eyes, sitting down and even leaning against Jake. Was she not even scared just a smidge of him?

"Dang things will hang out for hours lookin' for food," Jake added, flicking his tongue out.

"Hell, I spent two days hiding in an old burrow waitin' for one to leave me alone once," Frost smirked slightly, like she found that funny. She shook her head as the smirk disappeared, rubbing her bare arms and having sand fall from her dark gray fur.

"Hey, what'd you do to your hands?" Rango asked as he spotted the worn cloth around her wrists and hands.

"Easier to handle the reigns and my guns with the cloth on," she answered simply, crossing her arms behind her head and using the rough scales behind her as a pillow. "Wake me up when it leaves."

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><p>"Hey, Rango!" Someone was calling out his name quietly from the other side of the road. "You've got to do something!"<p>

"I know! I'm formulating a plan," Rango called back as he cautiously leaned out a little to see the exact position of the golden eagle. It was still sitting on top of the County Courthouse, preening its shimmering feathers. Pulling his head back under the overhang, he glanced at the snake and the cougar. "I think I've got a plan."

"Go for it," Frost said, her voice muffled by a yawn.

"You haven't even heard what it is," Rango pointed out, curling his tail nervously.

"Either go for it or leave me alone," she mumbled as she slung an arm over her eyes, propping her boots up on a thick coil.

"Knock it off," Jake grumbled, moving his body so that her feet dropped to the ground.

Rango gulped as he ventured out into the open, a hand wavering over his pistol. A few gasps came from various townsfolk scattered under the cover of different buildings. He looked towards the County Courthouse, feeling his heart drop when there was no sign of the huge bird. Turning his face to the sky, there was still no sign. Then he felt cool shade envelope him.

Frost removed her arm as there was a high pitched screech only belonging to that of a golden eagle. Leaning over one of the thick muscles, she braced her chin in her hands. Rango was standing, staring into the deep brown eyes of a bird that had nearly a wingspan of at least six feet she guessed, judging by the size of the bird overall.

"If this is your plan, it's a really stupid one!" She yelled at him.

"Rango there killed a hawk with one bullet," someone in a nearby overhang said.

"That was a hawk," Frost said, her tail lashing from side to side almost lazily. "This here is a golden eagle."

"Is that why it's so much bigger?" the person asked.

"Yep," she answered, turning her attention back to the two creatures having a stare down. "You think he's gonna kill that thing with one bullet?"

Jake narrowed his eyes, giving a slight shake of his head. Glancing down at the fellow gunslinger, he said, "He may have done a lot of things with one bullet, but killing an eagle ain't ever gonna get on that list."

"I agree," Frost leapt over him, only stopping to bend down and grab her rope. Putting two fingers in her mouth, she whistled loud enough for the bird to turn and look at her. "If you wanna run now, sheriff, I suggest you do so."

"There's no way you can handle this thing alone!" Rango protested, but took off for the closest overhang.

"I can try!" Frost said, loosening the rope and swinging it over her head. The eagle had turned to face her full on, spreading its wings out from its body a bit. "When I do this, you guys all need to find a better hiding spot."

"When you do what?" Rango questioned.

Frost ignored him for the moment, tossing her rope at the bird. Giving it a good pull, she successfully secured its beak shut. But it was the talons that were the most dangerous, and it showed through as it yanked its head back. Gritting her teeth and hanging on for the ride, she was lifted up into the air. Putting a tremendous strain on the muscles in her arms, she swung herself around the bird's head, using the lasso around its beak as a makeshift bridle.

The eagle spread its wings, flapping furiously. Dust was flying everywhere as well as a few feathers. Frost leaned down low, burying herself in the plumage of the bird as it danced around trying to get her off. Feathers, dirt, sky, and more feathers passed before her vision as well as a few townsfolk running and screaming.

Then everything became considerably smaller as the bird lifted up into the air with one powerful push of its wings.

"Ah, crap," Frost growled, sitting up and peering down at the buildings that were growing smaller. And then a small, green lizard came into her line of sight. "Sheriff, what's goin' through your mind?"

"I don't know!" Rango yelled, starting to climb the rope around the bird's leg that he had actually managed to catch. "You looked like you needed help!"

"Do I look like I need help?" she yelled back down to him.

Silence followed, only interrupted by the beating of the eagle's wings.

"Good point," Frost slid the slack of her rope down to the chameleon, offering her hand as he got closer. Pulling him up so he sat behind her, she said, "Jus' hang on to me real tight and whatever you do, don't let go."

Rango hesitantly put his arms around her middle, tucking his head into her shoulder blade. Clenching his eyes shut, he asked, "What's the plan?"

"I don't know," she answered, leaning forward as the bird leveled out. "I'm makin' it up as I go."

He gulped, hoping with every fiber of his being that her unplanned plan would go smoothly and no one would end up mangled or eaten. There was an unnerving calm and silence as the bird stopped moving all together, folding its wings into its sides.

"Hang on, we're goin' drop like a rock!" Frost said, leaning forward as far as possible.

The golden eagle pointed its head downwards; air whistling passed it as the ground became much closer at an alarming rate. Before it knew it, the ground was almost close enough to touch. Snapping its wings out in a rush, it crashed unceremoniously into the sand on the outskirts of the town.

"Rango!" Beans rushed over, pausing as the bird of prey stood up dizzily. With a shake of its head, it leaned over and hooked its talons around the rope over its beak. Not caring to give all the critters a second look, it pushed off the ground into the sky and disappeared into the distance. Rushing towards the crash site, the lizard called out again, "Rango!"

"Mmm….fine…." a muffled shout came out of the sand. Out of the crater popped the familiar face of Rango, grit falling from his head. "Anyone seen my hat?"

"I got it," a long tail rose up out of the crater, his hat on its tip. Frost popped up, shaking her body in an effort to get the sand off before handing the sheriff his hat. Groaning, she stood up and straightened out her back, several vertebrae popping in the process. "It's been a while since I've done somethin' like that. I'm gonna be feelin' this tomorrow."

"Same here," Rango agreed, walking out towards the gathering townsfolk. "Where's that no good rattler?"

"Took off first chance he got," Beans said proudly, putting her hands on her hips. "Never seen a rattler so scared."

"Got good reason, though," Frost rolled her shoulders as she walked between the two lizards, heading back for her belongings and roadrunner. "Golden eagles almost never lose a fight with a rattler."

"Neither do hawks," Rango said, following behind the gunslinger as well as a few other interested onlookers.

"I see them poor birds dead out in the desert all the time," she replied as she walked through the door of the General Store. Appearing out on the balcony in a matter of seconds, she leapt down gracefully and rearmed herself.

"Poor birds?" Beans huffed as she took on a defensive stance, crossing her arms over her chest. "Those birds kill and damage livestock, and people."

"Everything needs to eat something," she said simply. Flipping open her pistol, she counted the remaining five bullets inside their respective places. With a _click_ it flipped shut as the cougar hooked her foot in a stirrup and swung herself on top of the dark feathered roadrunner. "You folks stay safe, now." With that, she spurred the tall bird out into the endless desert.

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><p><strong>What did you guys think? Please remember to R&amp;R! Thanks for reading! :)<strong>


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